A TOTAL of 162.9 kilometers of local roads in Davao City are set to be converted into national roads in order to keep up with the city’s development and its increasing population.
During the Pulong Pulong ni Pulong media forum held last Tuesday, City Council chair on committee on public works and highways Councilor Jesus Joseph Zozobrado bared that his committee has scheduled a committee hearing for the request of the Department of Public Works and Highways for the conversion of existing roads identified as local roads, into national roads.
Based on the data provided by Zozobrado, in District 1 alone, up to 65.853 kilometers of local roads have been included in the list of proposed roads for conversion. These consists of one barangay road and nine city roads including Catalunan Grande Road, Marfori Road, Roxas Road (junction of Daang Maharlika Highway-junction of Magsaysay Avenue- Quezon Boulevard), Sandawa Road-Ecoland Drive-Matina Aplaya-Matina Crossing-Matina Pangi Road-Diversion Road, Matina Pangi Road, Bago Oshiro Road, Junction of Diversion Road-El Rio Vista Road-Circumferential Road-Davao Cotabato Road, Sandawa Road (junction of Diversion Road-junction of ABS-CBN-Quimpo Boulevard Diversion Road), and Diversion Extension Road.
The only barangay road included in list is the Junction of Diversion Road-Magtuod Road-New Carmen-Matina Biao- Junction of Davao Bukidnon road.
In District 2, 97.042 kilometers of roads up for conversion and this involves a total of eight barangay roads, and three city roads. These three city roads include Dacudao Road, Mamay Road and Junction of Mamay Road-La Verna-Diversion Road (Jct. Airport section).
Zozobrado said one of the advantages that come with the conversion of these local roads into national roads is that the national government can easily fund road expansion to the roads that are already converted into national road.
According to the Davao City Information Office, DPWH District Engineer Wilfredo Aguilar, in a memorandum addressed to DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, said some of the roads have to be upgraded in order to keep up with the recent development and the growing population in the city.
“Given the situation we would like to request for validation of the identified local roads for conversion into national roads,” Aguilar said.
Aguilar said it would be to the best interest of the public if the identified road sections are converted into national roads as this will then be included in the Regular Infrastructure Program of the National Government. (KVC)